Qing Hua Ma to become first Chinese F1 driver in Monza first practice

Qing Hua Ma will drive a Formula 1 car for the first time next weekend, in a HRT at the Italian Grand Prix.

It will be the first time ever that a Chinese person has driven a Formula 1 car in an official session. Ma will take the place of Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan for FP1.

Earlier in the year, he drove for HRT in a one-day Young Driver’s Test in Silverstone.

The 24-year-old has previously driven in A1 GP, Formula Renault 2.0, Spanish F3, British F3 National Class and Superleague Formula without success, but last year won the 1600c China Touring Car Championship. He came to the attention of the press in July, after crying after completing his first laps in the HRT F112:
He is not the first Chinese person to drive an F1 car, however. Ho Pin Tung completed a test drive for the Renault F1 team back in 2009.